Ellen Trevorrow, Ngarrindjeri, Interconnected stories, 2021, with Camp Coorong workshop children contributions and assistance from Jelina Haines, Cyperus Gymnacaulosand Cyperus Vaginatus (rushes), synthetic yarn, galvanised wire, MDF board, hooks, total diameter: 180 cm, weaving: 144 x 110 x 6 cm. Photo: Rosina Possingham.
ARTISTS
Chris De Rosa (Port Elliot), Lara Tilbrook (Kangaroo Island), Ellen Trevorrow (Meningie/Coorong), Clancy Warner (Sellicks Beach), Laura Wills (Adelaide)
HARBINGERS: Care or Catastrophe brings together five diverse artists with strong connections to regional SA, whose practices draw attention to our inherent interconnectedness with the natural world and the complexities of humankind’s influences on our environments.
Laura Wills, A flower’s dream in a bed of flowers (detail), 2021, pastel and pencil into artist’s twin sons’ school paintings, assemblage of 36 pages, total 178 x 252 cm. Photo: Rosina Possingham.
Driven by hope, resilience, integrity and community-led action, these artists are passionate advocates for change. They call for a collective movement grounded in deep listening and care, to counteract the chaos of disconnection and move toward generating a sustainable future for us all.
These newly commissioned works address issues about systematic (mis)management of natural resources, endemic loss of biodiversity, rising sea levels, migration policies, catastrophic fire events and ongoing colonialism. They also signal the hope in more viable and balanced ways of being and belonging.
Clancy Warner, The Drifters, 2021, reclaimed Oregon timber, reclaimed Turpentine jetty pylon, sand-cast bronze, 171 x 453 x 97cm. Photo: Rosina Possingham.
While climate change is telling us loud and clear that our anthropocene behaviour is causing global disaster, the natural world is giving us ample clues for how to avert complete catastrophe. HARBINGERS asks: what could our future look like if we prioritise the environment, cultural practices and social wellbeing over profit; and what does it look like if we don’t?
Lara Tilbrook, A sign (in progress, detail), 2021, Xanthorrhoea semiplana seed pods, Onkaparinga woollen blanket, treated forestry pine, cotton, polyester, 293 x 210 x 18 cm.
